US President Joe Biden met with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. REUTERS
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stated that he would 'always safeguard our sovereignty' when questioned about the South China Sea issue, emphasizing that partnerships are preferable to conflicts and that 'we respect all powers'. Prabowo's remarks, made during his visit to Washington on Wednesday, followed his foreign ministry's reiteration that Indonesia does not recognize China's claims over the South China Sea, despite signing a maritime agreement with Beijing last weekend. China has long disputed with Southeast Asian nations over the South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely, based on a 'nine-dash line' on its maps that encroaches into the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of several countries.
'We respect all powers but we will always safeguard our sovereignty. But I choose to always find possibilities of a partnership,' said Prabowo, who has consistently advocated for a non-aligned foreign policy. 'Partnerships are better than conflicts,' he told reporters. Prabowo, who is on his inaugural trip since assuming office last month, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing over the weekend. A maritime development agreement signed by China and Indonesia stated that they had achieved common understanding 'on joint development in areas of overlapping claims.'
This wording raised concerns in Indonesia, with analysts suggesting it could be seen as a shift in Jakarta's long-standing stance as a non-claimant state in the South China Sea, potentially compromising Indonesia's sovereign rights to exploit resources in its EEZ. Prabowo did not directly address the joint statement in his comments to reporters but mentioned that he had discussed the South China Sea with President Joe Biden during their meeting the previous day. Prabowo will also attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Peru and the G20 summit in Brazil.
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